The Legend of Zelda: Broken Blade
by Alrynnas
Summary: After being hired for a job, Link gets thrown into much more than he bargained for. Now he and his new companions must fight together to save their Hyrule. Follow our heroes in this new adventure as each must rise to face their destiny!
1. Prologue: The Forgotten Tower

Welcome to a new Legend of Zelda! This story falls into the same timeline as Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, but is otherwise an independent story. It takes place many, many, _many_ years before OoT. Please no comments like "that's not how the history happened", just enjoy the story as it is, okay? :P Also, the Link in this story is rather different from others in the series (you'll see how...). Other Legend of Zelda characters will be appearing in this along with several OCs. Oh, and if you're wondering (when you read the story), the name I gave the Goddess of Time means "year". That's all for now. Read and enjoy!

Prologue

_The Forgotten Tower_

The sun blazed down upon the desert. Warm sands glowed golden in the light. An air of tranquility floated around her in the place where only a select few could reach. Fire, water, air and earth; all were in unison, being a part of her as much as she was of them. The place seemed frozen in time, cut-off from the rest of the world. Matter of fact, it was. No mortal could enter the place under normal conditions. She had made sure of that. Solitude was what she liked best. It gave her the peace she needed to see to her work.

Opening her eyes, the young-looking woman gazed heavenward, raising her hand to block the glare from the sun. White hair cascaded down her back, flowing in the air though no wind blew at the moment. Her hair might have been pure white, yet there were no lines of age on her face. On the contrary, she seemed as young as in her early twenties. But she had an ageless quality to her looks. To match her hair, her fine dress was also a pure shade of white; no signs of dirt or wear anywhere on it. As she moved, the trail of the dress and the ends of the sleeves seemed to fade away into wisps of clouds.

At first glance, she seemed relatively normal. But when one saw her eyes, all that was taken away. Her eyes, pupil-less and silver, glowed like distant stars. The woman was none other than Jera, the Goddess of Time.

Time was no mystery to her. Past, present, and future, each one her domain. And the sands of time continued to flow as long as she existed. Though she was the master of time, that which every existing thing lived by, Jera was not that well known. But her mark was always there.

"What do you want?" she asked the person who had come up behind her without a sound.

"Shouldn't you know what I'm going to ask?" responded another woman.

Jera could hear the grin in the new woman's voice as she turned around. "Please, let us not have this discussion again." Looking up, Jera gazed upon the woman, though she already knew who it was.

Clad in a forest-green dress, Farore stood before her. Hair and eyes a stunning jade green, she smiled at the Goddess of Time. Much like Jera, Farore, too, was a Goddess. The Goddess of Courage. As time was Jera's to protect, life was Farore's. The Goddess of Courage flicked her hair that seemed made of vines and leaves to the side and walked towards Jera.

"Very well. We are calling a gathering to discuss the recent events. We ask that you come. Having you attend would be very appreciated."

Jera sighed. "We shall see. There is still much to do." Making a sweeping motion with her arm, Jera gestured to what lay in the sands around them. Ruins from various eras and places were toppled about. Bones of creatures long extinct and even of newer species scattered the lands. "Everything comes here sooner or later. It piles up on top of everything that came before, and so it shall never end."

After giving a small, disapproving sniff, Farore looked back at Jera. "You always have to do this. Some of us are beginning to think that you spend too much time with the past, and not enough with the present or future."

"Do not dismiss the past so lightly. Perhaps if people knew their own history better, they would be able to make better decisions, and not fall into a never-ending loop of having history repeat itself." Jera began to move towards an artifact near them to catalog, Farore quick to follow.

"Please come. Your insight would be useful. But..." the Goddess of Courage sighed, "I will understand if you do not."

The comment broke the usual sombre expression Jera wore into a smile. "I guess knowing when to back off does show courage, my old friend."

"Yes," chuckled Farore. "And you will always be as mysterious as time to us."

"As it should be. Now off with you!" she shooed. "There's much for both of us to do."

With a shake of her green-tressed head, Farore moved back to teleport away, but stopped before she cast her spell. "Jera..." The Goddess of Time looked back at her friend, brow raised at her tone of voice. "Do you what is of Din? Both Nayru and I can barely feel her presence. It's probably not much...but do you have any idea?"

Jera's brow quickly furrowed in thought and confusion. It was not like her to miss something like this...and something seemed wrong about it all, too. Out of the four of them, Jera was the most secluded, but Din, the Goddess of Power, was a close second. Together, the four of them created the world that was under their protection. Jera started the flow of time for everything to be a part of. Din forged the earth, creating the world in which everyone now lived. Farore gave it life, allowing things to grow and thrive. And Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, created the law which every living thing abode by.

Hanging her head for a moment, Jera responded, "I'm afraid I do not." She raised her head, silver eyes glinting brightly. "But I will look into the matter. I'll let you know as soon as I find anything of value."

A smile of relief crossed Farore's face. "Thank you. I hope that next time we speak, it will be under more relaxing terms." Waving farewell, she muttered a few choice words in the language of old and disappeared in a swirl of bright green light. A gust of wind blew by, removing any evidence that anyone else had been in the Desert of Ages.

Left puzzled by what Farore had said, Jera cupped her chin in her had. This was not meant to be, she knew that. Something had to be terribly wrong. Only very few beings could change fate; the Goddesses and Spirits of Light being a few of them. Jera assumed that Din had done such a thing...but one could never be too careful. If she had changed fate, Jera wanted to know why.

Arms falling to her side, the Goddess of time murmured a different phrase in the old language. It sounded almost like the common tongue said backwards and with the stresses on the wrong syllables. As the spell formed, she could feel her senses stretching across the vast lands of the world and beyond, reaching everything that followed the flow of time. Her breathing became shallow. Even for a Goddess, stretching herself this far was tiring since time was everywhere.

Nothing.

There was no sign of the Goddess of Power. If she had hid herself, she had done it quite well. Jera grunted in frustration. Even if Din had cut herself off from the rest of them, there should have been some remnants of her somewhere. Concerned that something terrible was amiss, Jera stretched her senses even further, into the past and future. She would find something out no matter what.

Then she found something. Barely detectable, even for Jera, the aura that belonged to Din was unmistakable. But it was where it was that surprised her. Honing her senses in on the place, it took Jera a moment to recall what the place was named. The Tower of Kharigzan. An ancient and now dark place that had once been the focal point of an old civilization. What was Din's presence doing in a place that now lay beneath the Great Ocean? Without hesitation, Jera allowed her senses to delve deeper. Soon, she hoped, she would have an answer to...

"Uunghh!" Jera cried out, clapping her hand to her forehead. In a second, she was on her hands and knees, panting hard and having a few beads of sweat drop down to the golden sands. As fast as the searing pain had come, it left, leaving Jera exhausted and greatly confused. What was going on there that was able to do such a thing to her? Whatever it was, it did not want Jera to find out what. Questions plagued Jera's mind; not something that usually happened.

Gathering herself, the Goddess of Time quickly said the same phrase Farore had said before she left and warped herself out of her desert. When she opened her eyes, she was far beneath the Great Ocean, in ruins that had long been forgotten. Even being under the ocean for around ten-thousand years, the Tower of Kharigzan was still in remarkable condition. Designs that had been carved into the stone walls still stood out, and even some old tapestries floated tattered and torn in the dark waters. Finished studying the place, Jera floated through the halls to reach the place of the anomaly.

Up and up she went, nearing the highest room in the large tower. As she got closer to the source of the oddity in the original flow of time, she could feel its power more and more. Such a dark power, it was. Jera knew she had felt that power somewhere before, but at the moment, could not place it. Soon, she stopped. Before her was an old door that had managed to withstand the test of time and the forces of nature. And on the other side of that...

Jera breathed out slowly, readying herself for whatever may be on the other side. Then she floated through the door, the physical world holding no boundaries over her, and stopped when she saw what was in the room.

The circular room was devoid of almost everything. There were places on the wall where she knew once great tapestries hung, and the murals on the walls were all but worn away. Large, open windows allowed Jera to see the vast ocean that had kept the tower hidden for all these years, and even the city that it was a part of. But there was one thing still in the room, something that time could not seem to destroy.

A giant, dark crystal hung in the water. Chains were latched onto it, keeping the large crystal in place. Several of the chains lay broken on the floor. Some, she knew, were from old age. But others...

Perplexed, the Goddess of Time floated towards the crystal, still keeping a fair distance between her and it. The dark power that she sensed was radiating from it, pulsating like a life force. Without warning, a loud _crack_ filled the room, and one of the massive chains snapped in two. Jera gasped. Such a thing was not meant to have happened!

Before the white-tressed Goddess could even move, a thick tendril of dark magic shot out from the crystal and latched around her leg. She grunted, trying to free herself from the tight grip. Another tendril whipped out, coiling around her waist. Another...and another. Struggling, Jera cried out for aid.

The dark powers lashed about her in a macabre fashion. Fire, water, air and earth—what had once been in complete harmony around her—all raging with raw, uncontrolled magic tore at her like never before. Crying out in protest, Jera managed to free a few limbs. She had knowledge of everything; past, present and future. But she herself could not change anything directly like she sometimes wished she could. As such, she even knew her own fate, and this was not it!

Jera glared at the crystal...and to the ones responsible for this atrocity. Had they also done something like this with the Goddess of Power? She shook her head. Surely, it could not be.

_Someone!_ she cried out, letting her words travel to anyone who could still hear, whether it be in the past, present, or future. _Someone, help! This cannot happen! This_ must _not happen!_ Jera struggled against the remaining tendril latched about her, trying to keep more from grabbing her at the same time. All about her, she could feel the effects this was already having. Tearing herself away, she tried to hold time together as best she could. The task of doing that was enough. She could do nothing more to help.

_Someone, please, stop this!_


	2. I : The Calling

I

_The Calling_

It was cool and damp inside the dark cave. The sound of a small stream could be heard trickling down the smooth rock face and further into the cave. Over time, that water would most likely create a whole new area in the cave to explore. But for now, it merely flowed on through and then fell out of sight. This far into the cave, no natural light made it in. There was an ever-present darkness, no matter the time of day, that could suffocate anyone who went in there unprepared. Thankfully, the one person who was in there right now, was prepared.

Securing the satchel on his belt, the robed man stood up in the dark cave. Around him, though, it was no longer so dark. Hovering by his shoulder was a small orb of red light. It pulsated softly, radiating its warm glow across the robed man and the surrounding area. Content with his job being completed, the robed man nodded to himself and turned to head out of the cave, the little orb trailing behind him obediently.

With a wave of his hand and a few choice words murmured under his breath, the light from the orb grew, illuminating the path before him even more. The orb, as one would probably assume from a single glance, was made of magic. The robed man was in fact a mage. Veknor was his name. Red hair fell down about his shoulders, resting on the deep-blue robes that were the signature sign of his craft. All of those that were a part of the Az'Rindai Citadel wore those colored robes to distinguish themselves from the others.

The noise from each step Veknor took echoed off the walls of the cave. He had been sent on a simple enough task: gather some of the cave mold that only grew in this mountain range. Since the cave mold, once processed properly, was quite useful at healing magical wounds, the Az'Rindai Citadel always carried it on hand. Usually, a simple gathering errand like this would be given to a trainee, but Veknor still normally requested to gather the cave mold, given that there were no other pressing matters at hand. Not only was he able to get the task done much faster, but he also enjoyed the time to himself. Being one of the head mages at the Citadel, he rarely got such peaceful times to himself.

Letting out a deep sigh, Veknor raised a hand to his face. On his left side, traveling from his brow line to the bottom of his jaw, were three scars. They had threatened to take out his left eye when he received the wound years ago, and had it been any deeper, he would have no longer been able to see from that eye. It had become a habit of his, a little quirk, to feel the three scars when worried or deep in thought. While he had managed to withhold the habit in front of groups of people, the fiery-haired mage still did it when alone or with only a few other people. This wound would be with him always, for no amount of magic or healing herbs would be able to remove it.

A sudden cry of surprise and pain escaped Veknor as he fell to one knee. A weight like nothing he had ever felt before pressed in on his mind. Such power... It threatened to split open his very head. Though Veknor tried to pull away from it, the power had gotten a hold on him. Now he could tell the power that invaded his mind was only a faction's of its full potential. As he attempted to hold his sanity together, Veknor tried to think of what being could hold such power.

_Someone...help!_ echoed a voice within his mind. The pain receded for a moment, as though the presence was moving on. _Please...stop this! _Veknor barely caught the rest of the plea before the weight vanished as quickly as it arose.

Finding his footing, the mage stood back up, a hand still on his head. The voice...calling out for help... Slowly, Veknor continued towards the exit. There was time enough to solve the mystery behind the voice.

"Time..." he murmured to no one. His hand slipped down his face, feeling over the claw-like wound as he always did while thinking. That voice, a woman's from what he could tell, had not just echoed within his mind...but across the very fabric of time itself. The orb of light fluctuated as he tried to put together the pieces of the puzzle. "Help...time..." he continued to murmur, cupping his chin in his hand. Veknor then froze in his step as his eyes went wide. There was only being able to send out a plea like that.

Jera, the Goddess of Time.

Something had to be greatly amiss for the Goddess of Time herself to be calling out for help. Panic gripped the mage for a moment before he calmed down. Along with the plea, he had felt an anomaly somewhere in the far east, beyond the borders of Hyrule. For a moment, he wondered how many other people had heard the plea. Not many, he surmised. Quickly, he dashed to the end of the cave, warm sunlight forcing him to quickly adjust his vision. The orb behind him faded in the light until it was no more.

A deep sigh escaped him as he closed his eyes. As a breeze blew by, Veknor flexed his hands, power surging through him. Beneath his deep-blue robes, his form began to change. Bones cracked slightly at the transformation. His fingers extended and became curved, black talons growing from where his nail beds were. Legs grew longer and the rest of his body began to double in size, continuing to expand further. Features morphed and stretched until his face no longer resembled that of a Hylian. A large maw with razor-sharp white teeth snapped at the air, as if testing it out. His elongated ears, that which distinguished someone as a Hylian, shifted further back and grew into horns. Behind him, two protrusions erupted from his back, breaking through the remnants of the robe. They expanded until the leathery membranes were large enough to lift the massive form they were attached to. A long tail whipped through the air.

Any resemblance to the fiery-haired mage was long gone. In his place sat a massive ruby-red dragon, his scales glistening in the warm sunlight. He was Veknor no more. Valkoraz was his true name. The only similarity between the two different forms were the three scars that had torn through his bright scales on the left side of his face. There were very few who knew his true form, for it was his guarded secret. Leaping into the air with a powerful jump, Valkoraz quickly beat down with his massive wings to pull himself up into the sky.

There were once many dragons in the world, but no more. Thousands of years ago, his proud race had been nearly wiped out. Very few of the great leviathans remained in the world, and the majority of those were now crazed, reduced to nothing more than mindless beasts. It pained the red dragon whenever he remembered this. His kin...those who had shared the skies with him...gone. Now, he aided the mortal races of Hyrule as much as he could, not wanting to see a similar catastrophe befall them.

Once content with his altitude, Valkoraz set off to the west, following the mountain range. While the anomaly he had sensed had indeed been to the east, there was still something he had to do in the west before heading there. Faster than any other living creature, he soared through the skies in the direction of the Az'Rindai Citadel.

:::

Piles and piles of books, notes, and various tomes were stacked around the young woman. Hand resting on her forehead, she read over the scribbled notes, committing the information to memory. Practicing and reading, that is what her training consisted of, mostly, as did the training of the other students at the Az'Rindai Citadel. Closing her eyes, San recited the chant she had just memorized, being careful not to actually cast the spell. Content with that for now, she closed the book and stood up from the chair. She did not worry about all of the books she left at the table; she had been at the Citadel for a good twelve years now, and people had grown accustomed to the areas she had, unintentionally, claimed as her own.

Straightening the collar of her light-blue jacket, the mark of a mage-in-training, she headed off through the great library. Though San had been there for twelve years, she had not been training for all of them. She had first been brought to the Citadel when she was merely eight years old. At that age, none of the other masters had allowed her to train yet. For four years then, she read all the books she could get her hand on, and silently watched other lessons, though, not once did she practice, and thus, kept herself from getting into trouble. When she turned twelve, she was finally allowed to take official lessons.

Various mages and members of the staff nodded to her as she headed through the magical halls. Nearly every inch of the citadel had some hints of magic in it. The halls showed their enchantment by simulating various weather and locations across the stone. Today, the halls showed a light rain shower over a mist-covered mountain range. It was a simple, yet a calming and lovely display of magic. A wry smile crossed her face as she remembered the lesson where the class she was in had to change the display across the magical halls. Eight years of training... While still the youngest mage training in the history of the Citadel, she would have been done by now if not for the events two years ago.

Two years ago...that was when the war happened.

It had changed the lives of everyone who lived in Hyrule. Though reports say the events leading to the war had started three years ago, it had only effected her two years ago. Far in the west, an enemy had risen from the shadows. According to some, the shadow had always been there, waiting for the right moment to rise again. Whatever it may have been, it was two years ago when the forces had broken across the border in the west and began to sweep across the kingdom of Hyrule.

The Demon Horde.

Plague Bringers, the Damned, Death Reapers... Many names had been given to those of the Demon Horde that threatened to destroy all of Hyrule. Worse than a plague, the monsters had devoured everything in their path. Those that had fallen in the blight of the demons had risen up again as their minions, forcing to fight the people that were once their friends. Pausing for a moment in her step, San shuddered and placed a hand on the cool wall to steady herself. The magical image of the misty mountains fluctuated for a moment under her touch. The sights, sounds, and smells from that war would forever be burned into her memories. She still had nightmares from it. Such things were not meant to be in their world.

Basically every defence they had put up against the Demon Horde had been decimated, warriors and mages alike. In fact, the mages had been hit worse, due to the monsters that thrived off of devouring the magical abilities. With so many killed in the front, the Citadel had been forced to even send those in training to the battle. In that time, she learned more about magic than any number of years reading and practicing would have provided. San had been one of those who was lucky enough to still be alive. She wished she could say the same for everyone else.

After a year of battles, the Demon Horde had finally been defeated. No one really knew how, though. Rumors were that it was the power of the Triforce that had been used to finally turn back the massing enemy in their hour of need. San only wished that whatever had saved them had been used earlier so that this feeling of loss had not been felt across all of Hyrule.

A year had gone by now since the victory against the Demon Horde. A full year...and Hyrule still had a long ways to go before it would be fully recovered.

"Are you busy?" asked a sudden voice from behind.

San nearly jumped in surprise. So lost in thought, she had not noticed the presence near her. Sapphire hair whipping around, she turned to face who belonged to the voice. Her azure eyes locked with cold gray ones.

"M-master Veknor!" she blurted out in surprise, fumbling for a moment as she gathered her composure.

The sombre mage rose an eyebrow slightly at her reaction. Twelve years...that was also how long the master and protégé had known each other. It had been Veknor who first found San and brought her to the Citadel for proper training. Though he had tried to get her to start her lessons back when she was eight, the other masters would not be swayed on the matter. Still, had it not been for Veknor, San would not be there now.

"No, not at the moment, Master." San quickly regained herself, holding her hands behind her back. Her brow furrowed for a moment as she saw Veknor run a hand down his wound. She knew what that habit meant. Since the end of the war, that little quirk of his had only risen up at the rarest of times. So, with seeing it now, San grew concerned as to what was on his mind.

"Good." Veknor nodded briskly. "Then you are to come with me." Without giving the young mage a chance to protest or to even question what was going on, the dragon-mage reached out and grabbed San's shoulder. As soon as he closed his eyes, San felt the lurching sensation of a teleportation spell. She grew even more worried for he had performed the magic without saying the incantation. Something had to indeed be wrong for him to preform a spell like that.

When her surroundings finally stopped swimming, she tried to place where they now were. A clearing in a forest, but beyond that, she could not say. San knew they could not be far from the Citadel, at least. Though Veknor was a powerful mage indeed, one could still only travel so far without giving the incantation to that spell.

"Master Veknor, where are we―"

"I shall explain along the way," interrupted the mage. With a swish of the travelling cloak he had donned, Veknor moved towards the center of the clearing. San began to follow, but quickly stopped and backed up when she saw what he intended to do. She watched in awe as his form grew and morphed. After a moment, Valkoraz towered above her. Gold reptilian eyes peered down at her as he lowered himself. His deep voice rumbled up from within his chest as he ordered, "Get on."

Nodding, San quickly dashed over and scrambled up to sit on the back of the great dragon. Though she had not seen his true form many times, San was one of the few people in Hyrule to know of it. She had known since she first met him, actually, before he even revealed to her what he truly was. Once she was settled on the great scales, she held on tight as Valkoraz once more leapt into the air and soared off to the east. With them heading in that direction, San could only hope whatever it was did not deal with the Demon Horde, for they had been far to the west.

_Master, where is it we are going?_ she questioned, reaching her mind out to touch his. The young mage never liked this way of communication, finding it tore through one's personal boundaries. But, any other way of speaking would have resulted in her voice being torn away by the winds before Valkoraz could hear it.

_To investigate an anomaly in the east,_ he answered back with his mind. Perhaps it was the near-ageless wisdom he seemed to hold, but there was something about Valkoraz's presence that always calmed San. _You can sense it, can't you. Something is amiss. _Emotions of concern spread from the great dragon to the young mage.

San slowly nodded before giving an answer of confirmation to her master. For a while now, she had felt a suffocating-like presence in the back of her mind. It was a partial reason as to why she had stopped studying earlier than normal that day. At first, she tried to pass it off as stress, but it had only grown worse. _Would it not have been faster to teleport directly there or at least closer to it?_ she wondered to him.

The great dragon shook his head. _I did not want to perform any spells near it without being certain first that it would be safe. As such, we are flying. Rest easy while you can, little one. There is no telling what may be in store for us._

While his words were aimed at making San calm, they had done just the opposite.

:::

The cup was placed on the counter harder than the young man had intended. A few eyes darted over to him before the people passed it off as nothing. Sighing, the young man ran a gauntlet-covered hand down his face.

"Need another?" asked the local innkeeper, Zeek, to the young man. The one who had been drinking waved the innkeeper off, passing up the offer. "Any luck yet on finding the one that wanted to hire you, Link?"

The young man named Link slouched some more and shook his head. "Not yet." Another sigh escaped him as he rested his head on the back of his hand. "I'm about ready to pass up on this offer and search for another job."

"Wait a bit longer. Not every day you get a personal request to be hired for a job," shrugged Zeek before heading off to attend to some of the other customers.

Link, though a young man, was a mercenary. The recent war had produced many in this line of work, but few were still around. The young man did not see himself getting out of being a mercenary any time soon. For one, the pay was decent, and second, he liked to be able to be on the move a lot and that he was not required to become friendly with his clients. Years ago, he would never have pictured himself like this, but all that had to change.

His home had been one of the first to be hit by the Demon Horde, three years ago, before the people of Hyrule even knew of them. Though, at first glance, he appeared Hylian, what with the pointed ears, and having been born in Hyrule, Link had not grown up in the kingdom. Far to the west, beyond the borders of Hyrule, in a town known as Dalin, had been where he was raised. But then, when he was eighteen, he had barely managed to escape the Demon Horde.

Memories of it played again and again in his head as though it had occurred only yesterday. Screams pierced the air. Scenes that left him scarred played before his eyes to those that were tortured and tormented by the Demon Horde. The very ground beneath his feet as he had run was dyed from the taint of the Demon Horde. He had not wanted to flee then, but, as the dying wish from his parents, he had fled. Death then, it seemed, would have been a welcoming release from the torment. But, when he saw his parents rise again as the minions for the Demon Horde, he realized not even death would stop this.

Still not entirely sure how, he had escaped the initial attack from the Demon Horde. Very few others had survived that initial attack, as well. The survivors had theories that it was a group of sorcerers that had brought the Demon Horde to this world. Theories as to why, though, had not been created, nor did Link care. Since then, he had had a biased against sorcerers and anyone else that could use magic. Saving all that power only for themselves... Nothing good came from it.

During the war, when it had finally reached Hyrule, he had become a mercenary, helping to destroy the Demon Horde for a price. And now, with the war over, he did various jobs, given that the pay was good enough.

"So what is this person meant to look like?" asked Zeek, coming back over to Link for a moment. Though the mercenary liked to be on the move most of the time, this town, Ackrynn, had essentially become a home for him of sorts, a base from which he would search for jobs. As such, Zeek had become a friend of sorts to Link.

"All he mentioned in the letter was that he would be wearing a dark cloak and hood."

Zeek gave a light snort. "Guess he didn't think through and realize that that describes at least a quarter of the people we get in here." Link barked out a dry laugh and nodded. "Though...have you tried that man, yet?" The innkeeper tossed his head towards a place behind Link.

Looking over his shoulder, Link spotted the one Zeek must have been motioning to. Shrouded in a dark cloak and hood, the man stood out more in this place than the mercenary would have first suspected. Shrugging, Link rose and headed over to the table where the man waited, a large and old-looking book open before him.

"Were you the one looking to hire a mercenary?" questioned Link once he neared the table.

"That depends," remarked the cloaked man. Link had to withhold a groan. Already, he was getting a bad first impression of the man just from the tone of his voice. "Who are you?"

"Name's Link," sighed the mercenary. It was only then did the cloaked man look up form his tome. Cold-violet eyes studied Link for a moment before they fell back onto the old pages. That made Link like the man even less.

"Yes, you'll do." Lazily, the man raised a hand and motioned for Link to sit down. Doing his very best to keep himself from muttering something under his breath, Link clenched his jaw and sat down. Silence hung between them as the man continued to read from the tome, as though Link was not even there. He was was about to make a comment on this when the man then said, "What I ask is a simple enough task. I'll need you to come with me on an...errand I must do." Link rolled his eyes slightly for the man still did not look up at him. Babysitting jobs were his least favourite of all.

"And what is the errand?"

"That is not something I'm paying for you to know." Link wanted to stand up and punch the conceited man across his face. "I'll merely need you if my abilities prove ineffective."

Unamused, Link rose an eyebrow. "And what abilities are those?"

"Surely you're smart enough to know that magic cannot work everywhere in this world. Countermeasures can be made."

Link wanted to get up and leave right then, but he stayed for it had been a slow month for jobs and pay. _Great,_ he thought bitterly, _a sorcerer_.

"So I'll basically be a back-up plan," sighed Link, rolling his shoulder.

"Now you're getting it," grinned the sorcerer. "But don't worry, I'm willing to pay more than it's actually worth."

"Fine, whatever." Link waved his hands to dismiss that matter. "When do we leave, sorcerer?"

The sorcerer's expression fell. "If you are to address me by art, at least call me a mage, _mercenary_," he retorted back sourly.

"Is there really a difference?" Link would not allow the magic-wielder to have the satisfaction in this. This sorcerer was certainly not helping how Link felt about them.

Letting the question slide, the sorcerer answered, "We may leave when you are ready."

After quickly checking to make sure Link had all his gear with him, he then rose. "Then let's go."

Since he had not bought anything at the inn, the sorcerer proceeded outside while Link went to tell Zeek what was going on before he headed out into the sun.

"So where are we headed, sorcerer?" He made a mental note to call the cloaked man that as much as possible without seeming to over do it. He felt a little glee when he saw the annoyed expression flash across the man's face.

"Far, far to the east," sighed the sorcerer. Reaching out, he placed a hand on Link's shoulder. The mercenary protested, but was unable to shake off his grip. Closing his eyes, the sorcerer chanted some sort of spell under his breath. Link was silently cursing to himself. He liked being in a spell even less than he liked magic-wielders. When the sorcerer finished, Link felt a lurching sensation and everything around him began to spin. Quickly, he closed his eyes before he lost his meal.

As soon as it began, it ended. Though the ground still felt like it was shaking to Link, he wondered for a moment if it was just his legs, the young mercenary opened a single eye slowly. Once he gathered that his surroundings were no longer spinning, he warily opened both of them all the way. Gone was the town of Ackrynn, and instead they were now in some sort of mountain range. Craning his head back, Link took a good look at them. They were not the mountains that the secluded Gorons called home, nor were they the mountains that the Az'Rindai Citadel rested near.

"Where...where the heck are we?" Link blurted out.

A cold laugh escaped the sorcerer. "I told you: far, far to the east, past the borders of Hyrule." Link shuddered a moment, not liking the thought he had travelled so far due to magic. "Come, not far to go from here." His cloak swishing against the ground, the sorcerer headed for a cave near them in the face of the mountain.

Link studied it for a moment. It looked more like a newly-formed fissure than an old cave. Reaching back to draw his sword, the mercenary followed warily in after. "You had better be able to get us back, sorcerer."

As if bristling from his words, the cloaked man stopped and turned around. "That will be the easy part of this task. And you will address me by my name now, not my art."

Slightly amused that the sorcerer had already cracked this soon, Link retorted: "And what is that, then? You sorcerers all look alike to me."

A smug look crossed the man's face before he headed into the cave and answered, "I am Vaati."


	3. II : The Anomaly

II

_The Anomaly_

"Break off into groups of two and search for survivors!" ordered the leader of the squadron. Blue robes lashing about, he turned around and made a sweeping gesture with his hand to the rest of the town.

"Yes, sir!" barked the group of six apprentice mages. With a quick bow, the group split off into three pairs. San had immediately gone with the woman to her right, who happened to be her best friend from the Az'Rindai Citadel, Iantha. Though there were a few years difference in their ages, the two had grown close over their years training. Moving off through the town, the two began to search for survivors.

The remnants of fires still burned on, their warm embers glowing in the settling night. For a fairly large town, there was an unsettling silence that hung in the air. Since the place was settled relatively close to the western border of Hyrule, the scouting party of mages had been sent from the Citadel to confirm whether the spread of the Demon Horde had reached this far in yet. They came...and those suspicions had been confirmed within the second. The mark of the Demon Horde, their blight, was slowly spreading across the land, consuming the once beautiful town and transforming it into an abomination that would be used for the demons.

"How could there possibly be any survivors in this place?" questioned Iantha as she pushed away some overhanging rubble from a burnt house. Whether by desertion or destruction, the town now felt completely empty. As far as they could tell, there was no sign of life anywhere. Even the very air around them felt cold and dead. To her side, San merely shook her head. Seeing all this...it was beginning to unsettle her stomach. "Is this what we should come to expect from the Demon Horde?" Iantha twisted her face in disgust as they passed a house where the smell of decay reached their noses.

"I think...we should expect worse," coughed San before raising an arm to her face to block the stench. Her gaze travelled from one area before them to another, looking for any signs of survivors. Part of her hoped there were none, for she did not want to imagine the sorry state those that lived would be in. "Hey, look at that!" San tapped Iantha on her arm and then pointed over to a grain silo. Crates of grain littered about it seemed as dead as the area around them...or rather, worse. The blight that clung to the land was strongest around those crates. The two mages dashed forward to investigate.

"Don't get too close," warned Iantha, holding out a hand to stop San. "What's...wrong with the grain?" she then questioned.

"It looks...infected," murmured San, rising up on her feet as high as she could to get a better look inside a crate that was opened. "Does this mean the Demon Horde' tampering with our food supplies?"

"We can't be certain if this is cause or effect," sighed the older mage.

"Take a good look, Iantha!" San pointed to the area around the crates. "Would it really be that bad if it was an _effect_? While I doubt it's the only cause for all this, I'll bet anything it's a factor. And look! The Hylian seal is on those crates... What if a shipment of infected grain has already been sent out? It could be the Demon Horde's strategy to weaken as many places as possible before sending in troops of their own!"

"San! Don't jump to conclusions!" barked Iantha, placing her hands on San's shoulder to calm the young mage down. "We'll report this in when we're done searching. It's...all we can do..." Sighing, she lowered her arms back to her side and shook her head. "Let's hurry and finish our searching."

San pursed her lips together, knowing her friend was right. There was nothing else their scouting party could do at the moment. Nodding, the two hurried back in their search for survivors. "Over there!" exclaimed San, pointing to a side of a relatively-intact house. At the base of the wall lay a woman who, at least at first glance, looked liked she could be alive. While most bodies they saw were almost beyond recognition of being Hylian, this woman was still intact. Quickly, the two rushed to her side. Iantha knelt down and placed a hand on the woman's neck.

"She's still breathing!" gasped Iantha in amazement as she rose back up. Moving closer to San, she then asked, "How do you think we should move her? I doubt it would be a good idea to use magic in her sta―"

"Watch out!" shrieked San...but it was too late.

Iantha's eyes went wide. She opened her mouth to speak, but only blood dribbled out. A guttural growl rose up from behind her, sounding more like a death rattle than anything else at that moment. The older mage looked down and saw a rotting hand with sharp, black claws had pierced through her chest. As she stared at it, she felt cold death sinking in on her. No...not quite death... It was burning...spreading throughout her body...destroying her living form and changing it into something perverse.

San stood frozen in spot by fear. While her mind was telling her to run, her body would not respond. Her friend... What would become of Iantha? The woman they had thought to still be alive was anything but that. Faster than physically possible, she had risen up behind Iantha and torn through her with a hand that was a cruel mockery of life as though the mage were parchment. For a moment, it felt as though to San that she had been attacked too, but she was safe...for now. Her azure eyes were locked on the face of the woman. The side they had seen as they approached looked normal enough, but now that all of it was revealed, San felt so foolish for thinking anyone was still alive here. The other side of the woman's face was rotted, becoming like death itself. And the eye that rested on that side of the face was black...inviting all those that looked at it into the void that they would soon be joining.

"R...run, San..." mumbled Iantha. San gasped lightly as she looked back to her friend. Before her very eyes, Iantha was becoming like the undead that had attacked her. "Fool...run... Run!" Torn from her fear, San found her footing and ran as fast as she could away from her friend and the ghoul. It was not a moment too soon, either. As her feet nearly slipped on the blighted ground, she saw other bodies that they had thought dead rising up.

She felt her chest tightening up. Already regret was taking hold of her for leaving her friend like that, to become one of these ghouls. Skidding to a halt, she turned around. There was still time, right? She could still save Iantha. Whether that was done by reversing what had happened to her friend, or killing her, San did not know. She began to turn around to do _something_ when she froze again.

A person clad in dark robes could be seen in the distance, a staff with a skull at its head standing as tall as the person. As soon as San lay eyes on this person, she felt a wave of dark magic lash out at her. So strong, she nearly fell to her knees. This presence...she had felt it only once before in her life...years ago. Fear gripped her again, but this time, he allowed her to flee faster rather than freezing her in spot.

"Commander! Commander!" she yelled out, nearing the place their scouting party had started out at.

"What is it?" asked the mage as he reached San. Holding her by the shoulders, he was all that kept her from falling to the dead ground. San shook in his grip, her breathing erratic. "San, breathe... You are safe now."

That made San shake her head frantically. "Infected food...ghouls...undead...necromancers..." she managed to explain with each breath. Never before could she remember being so unable to function. "Iantha...Iantha's dead!"

"What...?" breathed the commander in disbelief. At that moment, cries from a few of the other mages that had been scouting pierced through the air. Cursing under his breath, the commander looked back to San sternly. "Return to the Citadel as fast as you can!" San stared at him with confusion, not expecting that reaction at all. She nearly crumpled to the ground with the commander removed his hands from her shoulders. "That's an order!"

"Y-yes sir!" San finally managed to utter out. Bowing quickly, she cast a spell without an incantation and transported off to the edge of the town in a few jumps. Travelling such short distances with the transportation spell was often called a Blink. Continuing on in that manner, San only stopped when she felt she was a safe distance from the town. Looking over her shoulder, she felt a wave of despair wash over her as she stared at the town. If that was only a fraction of the Demon Horde's power...she did not want to see what else they were capable of. Closing her eyes, she prepared to Blink away again...

...and woke with a gasp.

Breathing hard, the young mage ran a hand through her sapphire hair. Such dreams of those times were nothing new to her...but that did not make her like them any more. Her first encounter with the forces of the Demon Horde, though they had been lower than their footsoldiers, had not been a pleasant one...nor would it be one that she would forget any time soon. Silently cursing under her breath, San slammed a fist against the hard red scales of Valkoraz, and quickly regretted doing so.

Gripping her hand, she waited for the pain from the blow to pass. Dragon scales were immensely tough, and her action had caused more harm to her than her Master. In fact, she bet that Valkoraz had not even felt the blow.

_What troubles you, little one?_ came the concerned thoughts of the great dragon. While he may not have felt her punch, he had been more than able to sense her distress.

Still gripping her sore hand, San shook her head and stared up to the night sky. They had been flying for quite some time now. _Just some memories..._She sighed softly.

_Of the Demon Horde?_

_Aye_.

_They are gone now, little one. You have nothing more to fear from them. We are nearly there, so worry not._

Smiling softly, she sent her thanks to Valkoraz. As painful as the memories may be, all of that was in the past now. And, as she knew from experience too many times over, there was nothing they could do to change the past.

:::

Carrying the lantern before him, Link lead the way through the cave. An extremely unamused expression was across his face. For all the time they had spent in here already, there was _nothing_ for their efforts. Not even the sorcerer Vaati showed any inclination that he had found what he was searching for in this dreary place. Each second that passed made Link more and more agitated. The one thought that kept him from abandoning Vaati on his seemingly pointless search was that he wanted to get paid. He only hoped it would be worth it.

"Ah, almost there now," commented Vaati from behind.

Link bit the inside of his cheek to keep him from turning around and punching the sorcerer across his face. After squeezing through a tighter area of the cave and moving to the side, Link froze. When Vaati emerged, he gasped in amazement.

What lay before them in the cave had been what Vaati searched for.

Nearly dropping the lantern, Link stared at it in amazement as the sorcerer began rambling on to himself. Whatever it was, it was made of pure magic in its rawest and most powerful form. It pulsated all the colours of the rainbow and more in the air, as though it were alive. Wonder filled Link as he watched it. For a moment, he felt at peace, which eventually began to unsettle him, for it was because of magic. It had to be a trap, it just had to be. Something so beautiful was surely just a ruse to lure people in. The mercenary began to grow weary of this phenomenon and wanted to leave as fast as possible.

"Amazing...amazing!" breathed out Vaati, Link finally paying attention to what he was saying. "I can't believe this is it!" Laughing, the sorcerer headed towards the raw magic. As he did, Link felt dread sink in on him... Such dread...he had not felt it this badly since the end of the war.

"D-don't get any closer to it!" shouted out Link, reaching back to grip the hilt of his sword instinctively. It did not take a master of magic to be able to tell whatever was before them was bad. Vaati let out a scoff and continued on, so close to his goal. So close...

A shock wave of power sent the sorcerer back and forced Link to a knee.

"What did you do?" questioned Link, rising back up. What had once been an unimaginable display of colours was now limited to a range of red, oranges, and yellows. Immediately, Link knew that meant danger. A new weight sunk in on his shoulders, as if the very air around them had grown heavy. Then, a sort of static began to grow in that air, but Link knew it was no normal electrical static. Crying out in surprise, he barely rolled to the side in time to dodge a bolt of the raw magic. It crashed into the cave wall behind where he had been and destroyed a good portion of it.

Heart racing a mile a minute, Link looked up in time to see Vaati turning to head back the way they had come, his sleeve singed. When the sorcerer neared the mercenary, he grabbed Link by his collar and shoved him towards the raw magic.

"Deal with it!" ordered Vaati before escaping through the passage.

"Hey!" shouted Link in surprise, stopping himself from stumbling further towards the raw magic. Several more bolts of the magic lashed out at the cave. Cursing under his breath, Link turn and ran after the sorcerer. When he passed through the tighter section of the cave, he looked behind him and saw the magical entity expanding, making him attempt to move faster. "Get back here!" Running as fast as he could through the cave, Link caught up with Vaati before he got too far. Reaching out, he grabbed onto the sorcerer's cloak. "Just what did you _do_?" he demanded.

"You fool! Let go of me!" Vaati tried to release himself from Link's hold, but the mercenary stayed firm.

"_I'm_ the fool? Look who's talking! This _thing_ is your fault!" He barely had time to register the fear in Vaati's eyes before he turned around. The magic he had seen expanding before had breached the cave walls and was continuing towards them, nothing hindering its path. Link let out another curse as he released Vaati from his grip, and the two tried to flee.

But it was too late.

The magic had caught up to the two an engulfed them within a second. Link opened his mouth to cry out in pain, but no sound escaped. Every inch of his body felt like it was on fire, outside and inside. Each cell was being torn apart from the other, breaking him down to the most basic of components. His mind, somehow, still managed to hold on, transferring each of the senses so he knew what was happening to him. After his body was broken down, he could feel the magic starting on his mind. Before that, too, was consumed, he felt as though he were being transported. Where, though, he could not say, for the last thing he remembered was his consciousness breaking apart.

:::

Smoothing down her jacket, San glanced over her shoulder after the surge of magic passed. Valkoraz was gone, and, once again, Veknor had returned. The sombre mage nodded towards his protégé before passing her and heading towards the cave entrance. San stood for a moment longer outside, studying the entrance. No...not the entrance. There was something else in there... Something she could not begin to describe.

"Come along, San!" called out Veknor from within the cave.

Startling back to attention, San quickly called out, "Yes, Master!" and hurried on into the dark cave. Each step she took, she felt a presence rising in the back of her mind. Swallowing nervously, she clasped her hands together. It was a presence she had never felt before. She was only relieved slightly by the fact she could now be certain that, whatever this was, it did not deal with the Demon Horde. Far from it. Whatever this was...it had a very different feel, and was much more powerful.

"There are others here..." murmured Veknor, slowing in his step. The orb of light he had created glowed on before them, lighting their way.

San's brow furrowed lightly. "Other people?" Sure enough, when she honed her senses some, she too could tell the presence of two people. Mentally, she scolded herself for not noticing them until now. So caught up with the other looming presence, she had not sensed anything else. "One does not seem to use magic while the other definitely does. Most likely a mage, and a powerful one at that, for his level," she rattled off the information as if by second nature.

Ahead of her, Veknor nodded, as though she had given the correct answer to a test question. Silence fell between the two mages as they headed deeper and deeper into the cave. Every second, San tried to analyse the presence she felt in this place. Not only powerful, but it felt...old, as well, as though there was an agelessness to it. One that did not seem to be possible for this world.

The further they travelled in, the more the presence began to affect her more and more. It was like a pressure building up inside of her mind, trying hard to break out. Wincing, she raised a hand to her head, trying her best to build a defence to protect her mind. Then, without warning, the intensity of the pressure increased and became more violent. Crying out, she fell to her knees and clutched her head. With speed not matched by a human, Veknor went back to his protégé's side.

"Just...what is in this place?" questioned San, reaching out to grip Veknor's arm. Such power...it did not belong in their world. The sombre mage merely shook his head slowly. Even he did not know exactly what rested here, only that it was related to the Goddess of Time calling out for aid. Azure eyes shot open as San looked up to her Master. "It's...it's coming!" she panted out. "It's not safe here!"

"San. San! Calm down." For a rare moment, Veknor broke out of his normal sombre expression. Panting erratically, San stared at what was coming for them. It looked like a wall of pure magic. All she could do was helplessly watch as it engulfed them.

The young mage was terrified and yet fascinated at the same time. The pain was terrible, but the side of her that wanted to learn more magic was entranced by the power and the complexity behind the magic. She only wished she had more time to analyse it. Time...time... It always came down to time...

:::

Head pounding, Link rolled onto his side. Never before had he felt so sore. Every inch of his body ached. At that moment, he thought he would never be able to move the same.

"What the...hell was that...?" he murmured, forcing himself to sit up. A groan escaped him for his body protested every second he moved. Thinking back to what happened, he began to grow sick. All that had been caused by magic. He hated magic. It had been the worst thing he could think of happening to him, second only to dying. Link blinked several times to clear his vision. With his head swimming as it was, he did not trust himself to stand.

To his side, Vaati stirred. Looking over, Link focused on the sorcerer, and anger rose within him. That was all he needed. Reaching back, he drew forth his sword, which he was momentarily thankful for still being there, and found the strength to pin Vaati back down before he even got up. Blade held firmly at the sorcerer's neck, Link glared down at the man.

"Give me one damn good reason why I shouldn't jam three feet of cold steel down your throat!" he growled.

The sorcerer tried to twist out of Link's grip on him, but was in no condition to do so. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Vaati regained his composure and stared coolly back at the mercenary. "Who else would be able to get you back?"

Clenching his jaw, Link reluctantly withdrew his sword and pushed Vaati back harshly as he rose up. It made the mercenary sick and angered, being forced to continue to rely on this damned sorcerer. "You better be able to get us the hell back, or else―" Link was unable to finish his imaginative threat, for blades were then at his neck, along with Vaati's. Several curses escaped Link under his breath for not noticing the group of soldiers sooner.

"Is this the location for the disturbance?" asked a man walking towards the mercenary and sorcerer.

"One of the two places, yes, sir," responded one of the people who had a blade to Link's neck.

The man Link assumed to be the commander of the group eyed the two of them for a long tome, studying them carefully. "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

Link rolled his eyes for a second before tossing his head in the direction of Vaati. "Ask him." Looking over, the mercenary barely had time to catch the smirk on the sorcerer's face before crying out, "Bastard!"

With the fastest of incantations being chanted, Vaati was there one second, and then gone the next.

"Dammit! A magic wielder!" cursed the commander. "You two! Search for him!" The two soldiers he gestured to quickly saluted before rushing off to try to find Vaati. Muttering something under his breath, the commander then switched his attention back to Link. "You don't seem to be able to use magic..." Link merely gave a flat stare at the commander for the comment. As if he would ever use magic. "Cuff him and take him into holding!"

Grunting, Link tried to free himself from the grasp of the soldiers, but it was to no avail. Sighing, and his hopes falling, he looked out towards the horizon of this new place. Freedom was surely out there, and more importantly, a way home, but now he could not reach it.

"Blasted sorcerer..." he spat.

:::

Grass. There should be no grass in a cave. This could not be the cave. Blinking slowly, San tried to piece together what had happened. Such intensity behind that magic. She swore it had torn apart every inch of her being, body and mind alike. Before her mind had been completely broken down, San thought that the magic had felt somewhat akin to a transportation spell. Only it could not have been. No transportation spell could be that strong. Why, had she not known it to be impossible, she would have guessed that whatever had occurred had been strong enough to transport through time itself.

Slowly, for her body still ached, San sat up. She squinted since at the moment the light from the sun was far too bright for her eyes. Something...something was wrong. Keeping a hand raised to cast a shadow on her face, San quickly surveyed the land. What she had sensed was verified by her sight.

She was no longer in the cave, nor the land surrounding it...nor even Hyrule.

Breath quickening for a moment, she wondered where she could now possibly be. A groan not far from her pulled San from her thoughts. Looking over, she saw Veknor was also with her. Stumbling over to his side, she tried to help him sit up.

"Master, are you all right?" she asked once his eyes opened. Concern for her teacher rose up in her. Never before had he looked so pale. This was not right, either. Dragons were not meant to get sick! What could she do to help him? Her skills in magic were hardly good enough to help a dragon yet.

Resting his head on a hand, Veknor nodded to San. "I will be fine, little one."

San sighed, her shoulders drooping for a moment. It had been a silly question, she realised. Even had something been wrong with him, Veknor was not the sort of person to admit that. Grunting, she supported the dragon-mage as they stood.

Looking out across the rest of the land she could see at the moment, San let out a gasp. Off in the distance was the grandest city she had ever seen. A castle rose up near the center, taller than any of the other buildings. Made of the purest white stone, it shone like a sun. Not only was the castle made of that material, but so was the rest of the city.

"What... How..." San fumbled to find the right words to ask. She had never before seen such a place. A city like this...even before the war, she had known of no kingdom that could construct one so. Hyrule castle was a blotch of dirt in comparison. Even the Az'Rindai Citadel, which in her mind was the most beautiful structure she had even seen before, paled when in contrast to the city that lay before them. After the war, however, any thought of ever constructing something as grand as this was gone for they were still occupied with rebuilding.

Wherever they now were, it was far from any land they had ever been to before, or even heard of.

"Just where _are _we?"


	4. III : Reluctant Alliance

III

_Reluctant Alliance_

Craning his head back, Link stared at the glistening towers in the city. Whiter than any white he had seen before, they radiated such brilliance that he could not believe his eyes. It seemed like a city one could only dream of. Not one of his dreams, however. A harsh shove brought him back from his amazed state. The guards were not being too nice with him. He grumbled under his breath as he picked up his pace a little. Finished with looking up, Link's gaze began to survey the rest of the city and its inhabitants.

There was positively no chance of this city being a part of Hyrule. Not only did the style of the structures alert him, but so did the state of its people. There was not a family in Hyrule that had not lost something during the war. And, though it ended a year ago, the Hylians were still recouping and rebuilding. This city and the people were just too well off to be in Hyrule. He also noticed that a few of the people that noticed him and his guards gave him odd stares. After returning the stares back to the people, Link surmised that they did not get prisoners too often.

A depressing shadow fell across Link and the guards. Glancing back up, he noted the building now before them. A slight chill travelled up his spine at the sight. Though he had never been in this city before let alone the building, he knew what had to be inside:

A prison cell.

It was the logical assumption in a situation like this: being thrown into a cell to wait to see what would happen to him. At the moment, his only hope that these people did not kill before asking questions.

"Any word yet from the other search group from the second anomaly?" asked the commander, removing his helm once he was inside.

"None, sir," answered a foot soldier. The commander scowled for a moment, running a hand over his scraggly chin. That was twice now Link heard him talking of second anomaly. Did that mean there were others here like he was? Part of him doubted it, though. When he and Vaati had gone to the cave, there had been no signs of anyone else.

"Hey!" shouted Link. His arms were twisted to remind him to mind his place. Glaring, he muttered something under his breath. One of the guards around him had taken his sword and was now removing the armor on his right arm. This only annoyed him more. It was not just that he did not like having his gear taken, the sword had also once belonged to his father. It was all he had left of his family. The only reminder of the life he once had.

"Take those to the armory," ordered the commander. Tossing his head, the commander then gestured that the other guards still with Link should follow him. Link clenched his jaw tight as he was then lead through the building. He tried to take notes on where the guard with his gear had gone. If he ever managed to get out of this place, he would want them back.

Though they were heading underground by now, it did not feel to Link as though they were. Most prisons he had seen in his life were dank and run-down. This place continued to shine as bright as the buildings outside. The only time he was reminded it was a prison was when he was thrown into his cell. He managed to keep himself from running into the far wall. Spinning around, he had to stop short before running into the cell bars. His momentary chance at escape was gone, for as quickly as the cell was opened, it was closed again.

"So odd..." murmured the commander, raising an eyebrow to Link. "I wonder if there are others that look like him at the second anomaly." Sighing, he turned his back to Link as he began to head out. "I only feel sorry for their majesties to be bothered with this on such a joyous day."

Link glared at the commander's back until he was gone from sight on the other side of the prison door. It was in that moment that he noticed something. What the commander had mentioned also tipped him off: Link was the only one of the people here that had pointed ears.

:::

San and Veknor walked fairly slowly through the grand city. Though they did not know the reason, Veknor was still weak since coming here. The young mage had hoped his weariness would wear off as they made their way to the city, but it had not. The only good news was that Veknor's condition had not declined. To not draw any more attention to themselves than needed, the dragon-mage had insisted upon walking under his own strength. The two spellcasters tried to stay to the less crowded areas of the city, but that was proving to be rather hard to accomplish for there were a lot of people and they all seemed to be gathering around the streets.

A loud trumpet was heard. Then another. And another. The air filled with their sound, each of the different notes resonating with everyone there. Drums began to beat, and other instruments joined in too. The music swelled up through the city until there was not a place inside the walls that could not hear it. It had been such a long time since San had heard music like this. In the aftermath of the war, there was not much time for such celebrations. The music was also from a culture she did not know of.

"Here they come! I see them! I see them!" cheered out a child's voice above the busy chatter of the crowd. As if on command, the people around the two mages tried to move closer to the wide streets. In all the hustle, both San and Veknor were forced forward towards the edge of the crowd. It was not the worst of things, for they could now easily see what was going on.

A parade of people were making their way down the street. Led by two people on horseback that carried banners, the parade moved on at a steady pace. There were several people performing acrobatics neat the front, their stunts impressing even San. After them came the musicians, their instruments shining brightly in the sunlight. It was what followed next, though, that caught the most attention.

Being pulled by six majestic horses, the elaborate wagon moved smoothly along. Two people stood atop the wagon, a man and woman, waving to the crowds as they passed by. Judging by their clothing and how the two held themselves, San could only assume that the two of them were royalty of some sort. The two both had blonde hair, but the woman's was more golden than the man's. The young mage was only able to stare in amazement, her mouth hanging slightly open. Even at this distance, she could feel great power coming from the two at the focal point of the parade.

"This is great! Prince Alden and Princess Zelda are finally getting married!" exclaimed a person near the mages. San's ears perked slightly as she caught this piece of information. Were those really the names of the two in the parade? If so...

"Congratulations!" yelled out a voice.

"Well done, your majesties!" These and other cheers rose louder as the parade for the prince and princess passed by where San and Veknor stood. The blue-haired mage could not look away. Just where was this land that they ruled over? San's thoughts were cut short as she suddenly stiffened.

The princess' eyes had fallen upon San's.

Piercing ocean-blue orbs that were filled with wisdom beyond her years met the azure ones of San. It could not have been more than a second, but the mage knew the princess had been able to pick San out from the entire sea of people. The smile that had been on Princess Zelda's face as she waved to the crowd faltered. It had only been for a second, but San knew well enough it had dealt with her. As soon as it had happened, the moment passed, and San could breath easy again.

"Young San...we must get out of here..." whispered Veknor, his voice still weak. San looked to him, her expression voicing the question that was on her mind. "We appear to stand out too much in this crowd..." Brow furrowing, San followed Veknor's gaze and saw what had caught his attention: a pair of guards where whispering to themselves, while their attention was focused on the two mages. "We must leave!" hissed Veknor before turning.

San watched the guards for a moment longer before following her master. Her fears were confirmed as she turned: the guards had begun to follow them. The young mage was quick to catch up to her master and grab his arm. As much as the dragon-mage did not want to admit it, he could not deny the fact that he was still weak. While guiding Veknor as quickly as possible, San strained her senses to see how many guards were now after them.

"Ten are now alerted to our presence," murmured Veknor. San grunted in frustration and tried to move quicker. Ten guards. "Get yourself out of here."

San shook her head and tightened the grip on her master. "I am not leaving you behind, Master Veknor."

"That is an order, young San. I trust that some way can then be found for me to escape."

"Then consider this my rebellious stage, for I am not leaving your side! We shall find a way together. Besides, I don't know if I'd be able to get back in to free you! And you are in no condition to free yourself." Veknor eyed her for a moment before sighing and then grumbling something under his breath. Judging by his reaction, San knew he had reluctantly agreed to her side of it.

Once that had been settled, San wondered what do to next. As long as she was with Veknor, she would be unable to escape quickly. Biting her bottom lip, she decided on what had to be done. Tugging her master's arm, she pulled Veknor into an alley, the guards closing in on them. It would take a bit, but she was confident enough in her abilities that a little magic could...

"Don't!" hissed Veknor.

San's concentration broke and the spell she was preparing to cast faded away. She caught her breath as she saw the guards wait at the entrance of the alley. Confused, she shot her master a look. He knew the limits of her abilities, surely he knew San could handle taking care of their pursuers.

"Do not use any magic at all," he warned. It was the dragon-mage's turn to grip his protégé's arm. "Just allow us to be captured, and we shall make our escape later." It went against everything her mind was telling her to do so that they were safe, but San sighed and followed Veknor's orders. She could only hope that the latter of what he said, the escape, would be as easy as the capture.

:::

"Think there are any more of them?"

"Only time will tell," grunted a man in response. Rusty cage doors were then closed, and the sound of footsteps faded away in the cell block. Only once he was certain that the guards were gone did Link open an eye. From where he sat against his cell wall, he could not see anyone else. Sighing to himself, he grudgingly rose and headed to the cold bars that kept him trapped. Now he could see a robed man in one of the cells adjacent to his. Whoever the man was, he was rather tall with an air of power around him. Since he did not expect anyone else to have them, Link gasped lightly when he saw the pointed ears of a Hylian.

"Looks like we are not the only ones here after all," commented the robed man as he turned and spotted Link staring at him. "This may explain the guards' interest in us, at least."

Leaning coolly against the bars, Link crossed his arms. "Who are you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

The robed man let out a heavy sigh before he sat down. He seemed tired and weary of what had gone on for him. "I am Veknor. My companion here is San."

"Nice to meet you," piped up a woman. Link blinked in surprise. He had not expected that. His eyes darted to the wall that separated him and San. "Though this isn't the best of situations," she added with a nervous chuckle.

"And what is your name?" asked Veknor stiffly, bringing Link back from his thoughts.

The mercenary blinked a moment, having been caught off guard by the question. "Link," he huffed out. Veknor studied him with his cold-gray eyes. Under the gaze, Link swallowed. It was rather intimidating. Though the red-haired man looked weary, there was still a great presence about him, one that unsettled Link. He could not explain why, but it was different from anyone he had met before in his life.

Nodding, Veknor took a seat in his cell, steepling his fingers before him. "You are Hylian then?"

Link wanted to scoff at the question, but he held it back. If they had been sent here like he was, and as confused in this place like him, then it was a fair enough question. The mercenary allowed a silent nod to be his answer.

"And I assume you were sent here through some anomaly?"

"If that's what you call it, yeah, I guess." The mercenary still was not quite sure what to make of what had happened to him.

Veknor's eyes darted to, Link assumed, San. "We were brought here the same way."

"Just exactly where _is_ here anyway?" asked Link, raising an eyebrow.

"Princess Zelda..." murmured San before an answer could be given. "Apparently that woman was Princess Zelda..." Link raised an eyebrow in her general direction. She seemed to be getting rather concerned over a mere name. "Could she possibly be―"

"No, she is not," answered Veknor with a shake of his head.

"Wait, what?" asked Link, already confused within the first few minutes of meeting these people.

"Princess Zelda," began San, sighing softly, "she is also the Princess of Hyrule."

Link blinked a couple times. Two different princesses of different kingdoms with the same name? Certainly _that_ did not happen very often. "Maybe...it's a popular name these days?" suggested Link.

Veknor pinched the bridge of his nose at the comment. "It's only popular amongst the young daughters of Hyrule that were named after our Princess."

"So...this is a complete coincidence to be in a kingdom where the princess happens to have the same name as ours?" questioned San.

"So far, that is the way it would seem. Wherever _here_ is," he added with a heavy sigh.

"Could this have anything to deal with the Demon Horde?" San's voice was soft, as though she realized the weight of her question were the answer affirmative.

Even Link felt relieved when he saw Veknor shake his head. "This does not fall into the Demon Horde's usual traits."

"You fought them too, huh? During the war." Link clenched a fist after he asked as he remembered what he had gone through because of the war.

"Aye, that we did."

"Well, even if the Demon Horde didn't do this, what if there are their are forces out here?" Veknor seemed to pause for a moment in thought to Link's question. "It could be Dalin all over again!"

The cold-gray eyes of Veknor studied Link once more. Like before, the mercenary grew uneasy under the gaze. "You were from there, correct?"

Link bit his bottom lip in annoyance. He had not wanted to let that piece of information dealing about his past out so soon. "Yeah, I am.." He quickly shook his head. "Bah! What does that have to deal with what's going on now?"

The slightest of grins seemed to tug at the corner of Veknor's mouth. "True." The fiery-haired man turned his attention to the cell beside Link's. "San, would you be so kind as to free us from here? I think we've spent enough time imprisoned." Dusting off his robes, Veknor rose.

"Of course, Master," responded San. Link could only glance in the direction of her cell in confusion. How would she be able to free them so easily? Whoever these two were, they were certainly not average Hylians. Link felt a tingling sensation travel up his spine as the air around him became charged. There could only be one explanation to what was going on...

Magic.

Groaning under his breath, Link crossed his arms and took a seat on his bed in the cell. This had not been what he wanted: more sorcerers. The second he was not with one, he was with others. The mercenary only hoped that they would soon be gone.

An odd yelp met Link's ears. San had been surprised by something. A moment passed before Link saw the hint of blue fabric followed by a spark near Veknor's cell. Once the smoke settled, the door to Veknor's cell swung easily open as though it had never been locked. The mercenary could not help but to stare in wonder for a moment. Magic could certainly have its useful moments...

Huffing in annoyance, Link crossed his arms and slouched in his seat. Sorcerers... He did not want anything more to do with them. His experience with Vaati had forever ruined what chance there had been of him liking magic wielders. They were all the same in the end. Slimey, snooty, no-good, rotten―

"Do you wish to leave here, or are you just going to sit there all day?" asked the female mage. Blinking, Link looked up to the door of his cell. The woman he assumed was San stood there, an eyebrow raised at him. She tapped on the cool bars slowly. Link clamped his mouth shut once he realized it had been hanging open slightly. He had not expected a sorcerer, or any magic-wielder, to look like her.

"Aren't you a little young to be a sorcerer?" he finally managed to ask after clearing his throat.

San gave a disapproving sniff. Closing her eyes, the same spark he had seen flashed by his cell door. "For a mage, I am. But that doesn't stop me from being your only chance out of here." A kind smile parted her lips. The mercenary could not remember the last time someone had smiled like that for him. It had to have been while he still lived in Dalin. "Are you coming?" she asked, holding out her hand.

Once again, Link was taken by surprise. Ever since he started work as a mercenary, he had never been treated so kindly. He was almost caught up in it all when he suddenly remembered what it was he was getting help from. Sinking lower into his seat, Link grunted. "I don't need help from sorcerers."

Sighing, San started to head off. "If you say so." Lending an arm to Veknor to help him stand, the two of them headed past Link's line of sight.

"Put the guards to sleep, young San. We shall make our escape from here yet. He shall just have to find his own way, if he even has the skill enough to do so."

Link bristled slightly. It felt as though Veknor was purposefully trying to goad him. "Fine!" huffed Link, standing. "I'll join you sorcerers on your way out."

"My name is San, not 'sorcerer'," sighed the blue-haired woman as she looked over her shoulder. "Would you please use my name, Link?" she asked. There was no hint of sarcasm or annoyance in her voice, and once again, Link was surprised. Was this woman always so nice?

"Uh...s-sure..." stuttered out Link, not expecting that sort of attitude from her. He had always believed all sorcerers to be the same. Veknor had watched the two for a moment, and Link swore there was an amused grin on his face before the redhead turned back around. Bristling slightly, Link sighed to himself before heading out of his cell. Perhaps this was not the best of choices after all.

With San being forced to lead the way, the three of them began to make it through the halls they had been taken through. Any guard they neared was quickly put to sleep with the use of a spell from San. It made Link a little nervous, seeing how powerful a simple spell could be. He made a mental note not to get on the wrong side of this mage.

"Wait!" he hissed when they were nearing the end of the halls. "Can we go try to find the armory?"

"Why would we need to go there?" questioned Veknor, raising an eyebrow.

"They took my armor and weapon when they brought me here."

"If it is gear you are looking for, then why do you not just take some from the guards?"

Crossing his arms, Link answered, "Because their weapons don't suit me."

"Now you are being ridiculous. Any weapon should―"

"Master," interjected San, "Wouldn't it be best for a non-magic fighter to be able to fight at his greatest strength sooner rather than later? It should not take much more to get Link's armor and weapon."

Veknor let out a heavy sigh. "If you believe you have the strength to go so far, little one."

San smiled and nodded. "I do. I don't know why, but something about being here..." She looked down to her hands. "It's increased the power of my spells, so it doesn't take as much strength to cast the spells I want. It caught me off-guard when I opened my cell, but I've gotten the hang of it now."

"Very well then," nodded the redhead. Link only had the vaguest of ideas where his gear was being stored. After a few wrong turns and encountering a couple patrols, the three of them found their way to where equipment was stored. Link sighed in relief when he saw his sword and armor still safe. As San and Veknor stood guard, Link donned his equipment and began to think.

"Is it just me, or is this just a little too easy?" questioned San, voicing exactly what Link had began to wonder himself. Not that he was complaining, but it did feel as though their escape was going too smoothly. "For a prison, I would have expected to see a lot more guards. And yet we have only crossed paths with a few groups."

"Maybe they don't normally get prisoners," laughed Link, straightening his tunic as he headed back to their side.

"No... It is more as though they are short-handed at the moment," murmured Veknor. Link sighed. Of course his idea would not be the correct one.

"Why would they be short on available guards?" asked San.

"That I cannot say. What ever the reason, we should make our escape now." His statement brought their conversation to an end. Sword drawn, Link brought up the rear as the three of them headed back out the halls. All guards they had passed before were still asleep thanks to San's spell. For the first time in a long time, Link was thankful that there was someone who could use magic. It was proving to be rather useful in their situation. He wanted to kick himself for even thinking such a thing...but it was the truth. A grunt of annoyance escaped him and pulled Link from his thoughts.

"What the?" he grumbled out. Rubbing his forehead, he glared at the back of the two mages. They had stopped without reason and without warning. Why had they stopped now when they were nearly to freedom? "Hey," he began while moving to the side of the two.

"They're here..." murmured San, her voice showing signs of strain. Things had been going so well. Why was the young mage now showing signs of concern?

"Who the hell are―" began Link, but the mercenary stopped when he rounded the corner. "They..." The sight of royal guards was enough to make even Link nervous. He could certainly tell why San had grown concerned all of a sudden. It was not so much the guards themselves that caused Link to stiffen, but rather who was protected by them.

None other than Princess Zelda and Prince Alden were staring back at the mercenary.

This was not turning out to be the best of days for Link. Swallowing nervously, he tried to back up, only to once again bump into the mages. He grumbled under his breath. _Good for nothing sorcerers... _he thought once more. Were they not capable of teleporting all of them to safety? That is what magic-wielders were good at, after all, figured Link: fleeing and being annoying.

"Well, looks like we got here in time, then," commented the prince wryly. Link cursed under his breath.

They had escaped from the frying pan...only to be caught in the fire.


	5. IV : Trials

IV

_Trials_

Link chafed at being shackles once again. Being captured was not something he enjoyed, let alone having it happen to him twice in one day. Gritting his teeth, he continuously tried to find a weak spot in his bindings. To his side, the mages stood calmly, awaiting what would happen next. He let out a harsh huff and glared at them for a second before returning his attention on their captors. _Damn sorcerers_, he thought, his feelings for magic-casters not changing. _Figures the day I deal with their kind just gets worse and worse_. Link already knew he would curse this day for the rest of his life.

"What shall we do, your majesties? They were clearly trying to escape," commented one of the guards. Link grunted in protest as once again his armor and weapon were taken away.

"We proceed as planned," nodded Alden. He eyed the three Hylians, a wry smile crossing his face. "They are back in our care. What's the difference if we met them out here or in their cells?" The Prince glanced over to the Princess who agreed with a silent nod.

"Very well, your majesties." Two of the guards bowed and led the procession through the halls. Looking upon the prisoners one last time, Zelda took Alden's arm before the two of them followed in line, their royal clothing swishing softly on the stone floor. It was with a harsh shove that Link, San, and Veknor followed. All were silent as they made their way out of the prison, for a time, at least.

"Why the hell don't you guys use your magic to get us out of here?" hissed Link, glaring back at his unwanted companions. "I've seen you sorcerers flee like that before, so why not now?"

Veknor eyed the mercenary coolly, but it was San who answered: "There are wards encompassing the entire city, preventing anyone from using magic to teleport in or out. Besides..." She let out a soft sigh. "Even if those wards weren't there, it's as though there are other wards around us now, preventing me from casting even the simplest of spells." Shaking her head, the young mage placed her hands on her temples, as if trying to get rid of a headache.

Link blinked in confusion. It had been a long time since he had seen a sorcerer so helpless. Since he had no magical abilities of his own, things that would disrupt a sorcerer's powers often left him alone. The last time he had seen something like this happen was back during the war. When fighting against the Demon Horde, there were times when any magic wielder could not cast a single spell due to the monsters that seemed to devourer the very essence of magic.

He almost felt a shred of sympathy for them for a second. Having the one thing they relied on for everything stripped away, it must have been a horrible feeling. It was one thing for him to lose his weapon and armor, for he knew he could still fight without them, but a magic-wielder was generally useless as long as they could not cast spells. The second he felt the sympathy rise, he shook his head and remembered what they were. "Blasted sorcerers," he nearly growled. "What good are you then?" San shot him a look, but while he expected it to be anger or some sort of frustration, Link was greatly surprised to see the sorrow on her face. She and Veknor could do nothing for them at the moment, and she knew it all too well.

"Keep quiet!" barked a guard as he shoved Link. The mercenary stumbled for a few steps, but managed to keep his footing. Anger rose up in Link. He had had enough.

"Peace, sergeant," soothed a caring voice. Link went tense for a moment when a hand touched his shoulder gently. That only lasted for a second, though, for he soon felt at ease. It was as though all his bad feelings were being washed away. The sergeant huffed once before bowing and returning to his place. Like Link, a hand had also been on his shoulder. "There is no harm in talking. Besides, there is no way for them to escape at the moment." Her hand slipped from Link's shoulder. Turning around, the mercenary watched as Zelda returned to Alden's side. There was such pureness from her that Link wondered if there was any darkness in her being at all.

As the procession stopped, Zelda turned back and smiled at the three. "But, Princess Zelda, this could be some Balyzian trickery! We must be careful!"

The peaceful princess studied the three for a moment longer. "I sense none of the magic that the Balyzians use." Her voice was as soft as silk. Her words and the smile she wore made all in the vicinity calmer. "Whoever they may be, I do not believe that they are of that kingdom, nor do I sense they have any mal intents for us. Friend or foe, that is what the sages and my father shall decide." With a nod, her observations were done.

Smiling, Alden took back Zelda's arm back. "I do believe Princess Zelda is normally right in these situations. There is no need to be harsh with them. Come, the sooner we reach the throne room, the sooner this matter shall be settled." Quick to salute, the guards followed the new orders to the letter. Link, San, and Veknor were relatively left alone, save for the odd shove to made sure they kept up the pace and direction.

The sun was warm as it shone down on them when they reached the streets. The inhabitants of the city were quick to scurry to the sides, creating a path for their group. Everyone that could see the group bowed or gave some gesture of respect to Zelda and Alden. Smiles were present on the faces of those who gazed upon the royal members. Many of the people said greetings to the prince and princess, their words filled with praise.

But soon, those greetings changed.

Murmurs rose that dealt not with the members of the royal family, but the prisoners, instead. Link cocked an eyebrow as he watched the people looking at them. They seemed to grow silent for a moment when his gaze fell upon them, but other than that, they continued to whisper. Those whispers, though, began to change. The comments from the citizens began to change from those dealing with the royal family members to the prisoners that followed. The mercenary could not catch them all, but a few reached his ears. One, however, stood out above the rest:

"Are they related to the Gods or Goddesses?"

The young mercenary's brow furrowed in confusion. "Gods and Goddesses?" he questioned to himself. He did not care for bouncing ideas off of the sorcerers at that time. Frankly, he wished he had never met them. That question from the citizens seemed to ripple through, making Link tense as he fell their eyes fall upon him and the mages. He did not understand why the citizens would relate them to such deities. Unless... Did their ears really make the three of them stand out that much? Such thoughts continued to run through Link's mind as the small procession made their way through the city.

Eventually the Hylians were brought into the throne room. What they had thought grand in the city was mediocre in comparison to the throne room. Despite their current predicament, the three could not help but stare in awe at their location. Alden, Zelda, and each of the guards around them were quick to bow before the old man sitting on the throne atop the incline of stairs.

"So that's meant to be the king, huh?" muttered Link as he rose an eyebrow at the old man. He never was one for royalty, especially feeble-looking ones.

"Show some respect!" hissed the guard next to the mercenary before he was pulled to his knees. San and Veknor received the same treatment while Link grumbled out a curse under his breath. Every second that passed made Link regret taking the job that day.

"My Lord, here are the prisoners you requested to see," announced Alden as he rose. With Zelda by his side, the two joined the king's side. The king raised his head and seemed to take a moment before fully focusing his attention on the newcomers. Link sighed in annoyance as they waited for the king to say something rather than just running a hand over his beard thoughtfully. Along with magic-users, members of royalty were also people that tended to annoy him. What was it that made them so different from the "common" people? Sitting around in their palaces all day...it was the people that got stuff done, anyway.

"This truly is an eventful day," commented the king as he sat up straighter. "We have our first marriage between the royal lines of Lynaria and Ryshalaa. And on top of that, we have some very interesting guests that just so happen decide to show up on this day."

"This was clearly an attempt on the princess' and prince's lives!" came a voice from above. Confused, the three Hylians looked up and saw the six balconies evenly spaced around the room above them. A man stood at the edge of each, a different symbol behind them. The colour of their garb was different for each man, the range being green, red, blue, violet, gold and white. "Only those from Balyze would come up with such a plot!" continued the man in the red robes.

"We cannot know that for certain," responded the man in white robes, his voice calm and steady. "We've never seen anyone like them before. This situation must be treated with care."

"Are you serious? This is a time of war!" voiced the man in the violet robes.

"And as such we must tread with caution," responded the green-robed man. The argument continued on, drawing in each of the men standing on the balconies. After a time, the people below began to grow annoyed, Link being the first to reach that point. Only when the king raised his hand did the men stop bickering.

"As you can see, this matter is quite different than what we're used to, even in this time. It would do us a great deal if you explained to us who you are and what you are doing here," instructed the king as he leaned forward, peering at the three Hylians.

Link began to take a step forward so he could denounce knowing either of the sorcerers. He would rather face whatever this kingdom had to throw at him by himself than with two spell-casters. Though what he planned to do was quite different from what happened. Blinking in confusion, Link looked back to San who had placed a hand on his arm. Staring back at him, her gaze unwavering, she lightly shook her head. In a second her eyes darted over to where Veknor stood by them and then focused back on the mercenary. With just her look alone, Link could surmise what she had wanted to say. He only sighed in annoyance before backing up slightly, Veknor being the one to step forward.

"My Lord, I am Veknor, this is my protégé San, and our guard, Link. We are but explorers who come from a land very far away," began Veknor, his voice reaching every inch of the throne room. "You have our deepest apologies for it was not our intent to cause such concern."

The king narrowed his eyes slightly. "And what is this place you speak of?"

"We come from a place called Dalin," answered Veknor without a moment's hesitation. Link grew tense at the mage's words. To say they all came from his home when they were akin to those that brought the destruction to it sickened Link more than he liked. It was only the hand on his arm that kept him from speaking out. Frustrated, he shot a glare to San who met his look with sympathy. He only hoped that Veknor had a damn good reason for saying they were from his home.

"Dalin? I have never heard of that place, and I know these lands well."

"It is quite far to the west."

"To the west? Impossible!" barked out one of the men from above.

"To the west lies Ryshalaa, and beyond that The Great Sea. There is no place called Dalin to he west," sighed another.

"We are from beyond The Great Sea!" answered Veknor strongly in attempts to remove any cynicism from the men. His plan did not work so well.

"_Beyond_ The Great Sea? How did you then get here?" asked the king, his voice giving away that he was, in fact, intrigued.

"Our people used a great spell to send us here, that is how we were able to cross the waters and the land between here and there. I'm afraid returning will be no easy task."

"Then why did you come here? If you really are explorers, isn't there some desire to return?"

"Of course there is," answered Veknor with all honesty. "You must understand, we have just come from a war ourselves. We are in search of allies who could possibly aid us. If we found them, then we hoped, along with their aid, we would be able to find a way home. If not...well, there are always risks in enterprises like this."

The king sighed wearily as he rubbed his forehead. "Seems as though many are in wars these days..." Regaining his composure, the king sat back up straight and peered down at the Hylians. "If you are who you say your are, then what of the fourth person who was with you?"

Though Veknor did not speak out, Link could tell by the split second of hesitation and uncertainty that the mage did not know what the king spoke of. How could he? Link had not mentioned to either of them about the sorcerer that had brought him into this mess. Freeing his arm from San's hold, Link took a step past Veknor. Though she had put no spell over him, the mercenary now felt as though he could speak freely again. It was a good thing too, for he was the only one of the three who could make sure their cover story was kept up.

"He turned traitor on us the moment we reached this land. We should have seen it coming," explained Link, not afraid to let his hated for sorcerers to show through. "We have no idea what his intentions now are, all we know is that he's no longer with us."

"And what was this man's name?"

"Vaati."A gasp met his ears, but not from where he thought. Glancing behind him, Link saw the look of surprise on San's face. There was more than just surprise in her eyes, there was concern as well. Concern for him knowing that name? Link began to grow confused at her reaction. As the mercenary turned to face the king again, he saw the look Veknor was giving him. Though concerned, San's had still held some kindness in it, Veknor's on the other hand...it seemed more like he was judging whether or not Link could still be considered an ally.

"By deserting us, he is no more than a traitor now to his people," continued Veknor before Link could say any more. A moment of relief came over Link for he knew that the older mage could handle things once more. The matter that the two of them seemed to know of this Vaati as well would have to wait for another time. "If you are to come across him in the future, I would ask that you left us to deal with him."

"I can make no promises for you at this time," sighed the king, waving a hand, "for we still do not know whether you are friend or foe."

"Father," spoke Zelda, her voice bringing a sudden peace to the room. The young princess walked down a few steps to stand between the Hylians and those of the kingdom. "I believe them when they say they are not from Balyze. Not only that, but they do seem to be honest when they say they are from far away and do not wish harm for us. Would it not be best, to protect a possible relationship with their people, to not treat them like enemies right now?"

The old king eyed his daughter with a pensive gaze. Raising his head, the king looked up to the six sages above them. Each of them slowly nodded their heads, albeit some of them grudgingly. "So be it!" nodded the king, his voice ringing strong. "If you three truly are who you say you are, I can only ask that you understand that we are in a cautious time now where it can be hard to distinguish friend from foe. But if you are from Balyze," he added as he raised a finger, "then you shall find no protection in your new disguise. Take them to the other cells." The guards were quick in taking hold of the Hylians so they could carry out the new orders. "Just...one more question..." Placing his hands together, the king leaned forward and eyed the Hylians with care. "Do all from this Dalin have ears such as yours?"

"Yes," answered Veknor. "All of our people do."

Leaning back, the king gave a thoughtful _hmph_ and waved them away. Unlike when they were taken to the throne room, the Hylians travelled in silence as they were taken to new cells. Link wondered for a moment why they were being taken to different ones, but quickly surmised it was due to how easily they had escaped their previous prison. Well, nearly escaped. Crossing paths with new guards and the royal family had not exactly helped with that.

Link grunted as he was shoved into a prison cell once again. Rubbing his sore wrists, he did not even try to rush for the door before it closed, locking him once more within four walls. An annoyed sigh escaped the mercenary as he headed up to the bars of his prison and rested his arms on them. He calmly eyed the two magic-users across from him, each of them in their own separate prison. San sat down on the bed in her cell while Veknor eyed the guards as they left the cell block.

The door had barely enough time to close completely before: "How do you know Vaati?" questioned Veknor immediately, and rather fiercely at that.

Link did not shy away from the question for he had expected as much to happen. Switching his expression to a glare, the mercenary stared back to the older mage. "Me? He's the one that hired me for the job that brought me to this blasted place! How do _you_ guys know him?"

"Why did he hire you for a job?"

Rolling his eyes, Link answered, "Because I'm _mercenary_. He said he needed someone who couldn't use magic to come along."

"Have you had any dealings with him before this job?"

Link clenched his jaw in anger. This was beginning to feel like an interrogation. "No, this was the first time I had ever met him. Now answer _my_ question and tell me how _you_ know him. Though I guess it comes as no surprise that you sorcerers know each other."

Veknor said no more and sat down on his bed in the cell. He had gotten what he needed to know from Link, and seemed as though he now had much to think over.

"That statement is somewhat true," responded San as she rose. Link blinked and looked over to her. "Those mages that are, or were, of the Az'Rindai Citadel all know each other. Assuming this Vaati you met is the same one we know, then he was banish from the Citadel not long after the war ended."

Link's brow furrowed. He had never heard of such a thing happening before. True, it was not as though he kept up-to-date on the dealings of those in the Citadel, but surely such a thing would have spread around to most in Hyrule. "What would get someone banished?"

San's eyes darted to the side. With how she shifted her weight, Link could tell it was not an easy subject matter for her. "There are only a few things that can get someone banished from the Citadel, and practicing necromancy is one of them."

"Necromancy?" whispered Link back, becoming even more confused. Though he knew of necromancy, and how those of the enemy used it during the war, he did not understand why that was so bad. Magic was magic, was it not? "Why would that get him banished?"

A soft sigh escaped San and she seemed disappointed. Link immediately regretted asking what he did. Perhaps this had been one of those times where it would have been better to just keep his mouth shut and gone along with it. He did not need to know the details of why Vaati had been banished, just knowing that was enough.

"I guess you really don't know anything about us," she muttered, returning to sit on her bed. "Mages essentially use the mana that's in the world to fuel their spells," she began to explain. "But casting spells also requires strength from the caster themselves, so there's only a finite amount of spells one can cast before they must recover. Necromancers, however, can do things a little differently..." San seemed to shudder at the thought of what she was about to say. "They harness the power of demons to strengthen their spells. Instead of using their own strength, it is the demons that lend them power. Doing so over time changes a person...as though their soul is eaten away at. They can be more powerful, yes, and can cast more spells, but it is a forbidden art for a reason. Vaati suggested that we delve into necromancy for the war, despite knowing how bad it is. He thought we should use the power of the enemy against them. He was warned...but he did not listen. After the war, it was proven that he had begun studying necromancy, and was then banished. What he did between then and now is anyone's guess. And having him here...it only makes things worse, wherever _here_ might be."

A sigh escaped Link as he ran a hand over his face. He had not expected such an explanation, but at least things made some sense. It was just is luck that he had to run into the one mage that decided to learn about necromancy. "Here...there..." he murmured to himself. The mercenary pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. If only they knew where they were. "Wait..." Link looked over to the cell that held Veknor and peered at the older mage. "You know, don't you? You know where we are."

San tried to peer out of her cell towards Veknor's next to her. With how they were set up, she could not get a look at the mage. "Is this true, Master?"

Without saying a word, Veknor shot a look to Link telling him that he should not press the matter further. Link had to hold back a smirk. This time he would not keep quiet. It was thanks to the blasted sorcerers that he was in this mess to begin with, if they knew something that he did not, he wanted to know what it was.

"He at least knows _something_," added Link, crossing his arms at the silent mage. "I've dealt with enough people as a mercenary to watch out for what they don't say as much as what they do say. Not saying you were from Hyrule... Saying that we were explorers... Just what have you figured out?"

A heavy sigh escaped Veknor as he pinched the bridge of his nose. All was silent for a moment while the mage placed his hands together before him. "I have only a speculation at the moment, but I fear that it is the only reasonable answer for what has happened to us," he finally answered. Link raised an eyebrow at the mage when he paused, telling him to continue. "You both keep on asking _where_ we are, but I do not believe that to be the main point. I believe the question we need to ask is rather _when_ are we."

Link gave a scoff of disbelief. _When_ they were? What was that supposed to mean? "_When_ we are?" questioned San softly while Link rolled his eyes. "Master, do you mean to say that we're in another time from our own?"

"That is exactly what I believe."

"And just what _exactly_ made you come to this crazy conclusion?" questioned Link, crossing his arms.

"The kingdoms of Lynaria and Ryshalaa, and the empire of Balyze. There are no such places in our time. In fact, the only time this places existed was in the past. And if you're wondering why I did not say we were from Hyrule, that is because they must not know of such a place existing yet. More importantly, Lynaria and Ryshalaa are the predecessors to Hyrule. Their Princess Zelda is proof of that, since for a very long time, each princess in their royal line has been named that. If we truly are in the past, and not some coincidental place that has these same names, then they must not know where we are really from.

"I'm afraid I cannot be more precise for the time we are in. The fact that they are at war with Balyze does not even help for they were often either at war or high tension between the kingdoms and empire. And when I try to remember things from this time..." Veknor sighed and placed a hand on his forehead. "It's as though I'm trying to remember something that has not happened, like there is a fog about those memories that won't clear. It will be annoying to deal with all this as though we were blind, but we must not alter our history any more."

Link reached out for the wall near him and leaned against it for a moment. Were they really in the past? If that were true, then how would they get home? Link did not like being stuck in a foreign place with two sorcerers let alone stuck in a different time. "If we are in the past...then how will we get out of this blasted time?" asked the mercenary.

"I am not quite sure. Before we were sent here, I heard a plea for help that had to have been been sent by the Goddess of Time, for it was sent through time itself. Perhaps the problematic occurrence was the anomaly itself or something is wrong in this time. Whatever may be wrong, if we are able to get home, I believe our only chance at that is to fix whatever problem there may be."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Link let out an annoyed sigh. With each question of his that was answered seem to generate more and more problems for them to deal with. "Well, I guess we just have to cross that bridge when we come to it. First off, how the hell are we gonna get out of here? Can you just use your magic again like before?"

San shook her head with helplessness. "I can't. There are wards on these cells that keep me from casting even the simplest of spells. I guess they learned from last time and made sure to put us in a prison that we cannot use magic to get out from."

"Great," sighed Link as threw up his arms. Frustrated more than ever, he gave up on talking with the mages for now and went to lie down on his bed. There was no telling how long they would have to wait in their prisons now. Silence fell between them all and Link began to lose track of time. After how long he could not say, but footsteps began to come down the hall to their cells. Getting up, Link saw that San, and even Veknor, were also intrigued by their visitor.

"I hope you three do not think poorly of us for putting you through this. Please understand that this is a difficult time for us."

"Think no more on it, Princess Zelda," responded Veknor to their visitor. Link held back a scoff as he rolled his eyes. If they were truly so confused whether or no the three of them were friend or foe, the least they could do would be to provide better accommodations and not stick them in a prison. "What brings you here and without any guards?"

"I have come to let you free." The three of them blinked in surprise. They had not expected to be let out of their prison let alone by the princess herself.

"And what if we really are the enemy?"

"You may not have told the whole truth when questioned by my father and the sages, but you did not lie about that matter. I believe you when you said you were no enemy to us." The princess took a moment to look at each of them. There was no deceit in her eyes. What she said was as true as Veknor's words about them. "Head to the west gate of the city and you should find that most of the guards are not there at the moment," she explained as she unlocked their cells. "Here," she murmured as she handed Link his armor and weapon.

"Why are you doing this for us?" asked San before she stepped out.

"As we have said, this is a difficult time for us. I believe it would be best for you not to be around for a while. Worry not, I shall deal with this matter. Hopefully the next time we meet, it will not be under such suspicions." Zelda stepped back and motioned towards the door at the end of the cell block. "Please, go now."

The two mages were quick to follow her request with nods of their heads to the princess as they passed by. Link paused for a moment and looked back to Zelda before he too headed out the door. "Thanks," he murmured before following the two mages out.

The princess had not lied to them. As the three of them made their way to the west gate during the cover of night, there were only a few times they had to wait for guards to pass. Faster than they had expected, the group of three were soon outside of the gates and on their way towards the wilderness of Lynaria.

"What are we gonna do now?" breathed out Link as they paused.

"We get as far away from here as we can for now. Once the sun rises, then we shall decide where to go from there," answered Veknor. Link gave a sigh before reluctantly nodding. Though free from their cells, they were not yet safe from being recaptured. Without any further words, the mages and the mercenary headed off as fast as they all could to find a place where they could then decide what they would do next.


End file.
